Sever sepsis or septic shock (according to the criteria of the American College of Chest Physicians / Society of Critical Care Medicine) in a mechanically ventilated ICU patient.

- Exclusion criteria

Patients under the age of 18 years and patients with a sensitivity to starch-products.

- mec approval received

yes

- multicenter trial

no

- randomised

yes

- masking/blinding

None

- control

Active

- group

Crossover

- Type

2 or more arms, randomized

- Studytype

intervention

- planned startdate

14-nov-2005

- planned closingdate

31-dec-2007

- Target number of participants

60

- Interventions

Subjects are assigned to be resuscitated either with cristalloids (sodiumchloride 0,9%) or cristalloid combined with colloids (polyhydroxyethylstarch 10%) untill rescusitation endpoints have been established. Endpoints are an intrathoracal blood volume of > 850 ml/m2, a mean arterial pressure of > 70 mmHg and a cardiac index of > 3.0 l/min/m2.

- Primary outcome

The relation between the resuscitation regime and the tissue oxygen tension. Furthermore the relation between the resuscitation regime and the amount of extravascular lungwater, as well as the relation between the amount of extravascular lungwater and the tissue oxygen tension.